Mitchell (l) becomes latest celebrity chef to have area in sports venue

AEG and its concessionaire Levy Restaurants have launched another new food concept at Staples Center tied to the celebrity chef trend in sports dining. The Legendary Eats Sandwich House, developed by chef Malcolm Mitchell and whose investors include Basketball HOFer James Worthy, debuted Saturday at the Warriors-Clippers playoff game. Worthy pitched the concept to AEG officials, according to Staples Center Senior VP & GM Lee Zeidman. There are two locations, one at Cooke’s Corner Carvery Bar on the first suite level, and a second spot at the Outtakes “grab and go” stand near Section 104 on the main concourse. The menu features a variety of hot and cold sandwiches and salads developed by Mitchell and named after athletes and celebrities, including Worthy, Jamaal Wilkes, Derek Smith, Sheila E., Jeffrey Osborne and Penny Marshall. Three examples are the “Big Game” James grilled chicken sandwich, Jamaal “Smooth as Silk” Wilkes smoked turkey sandwich and Penny Marshall’s Lobster Roll. The sandwiches and salads cost $12-17, and the royalties paid to those individuals will be donated to the charity of their choice, Zeidman said. The cost to retrofit the two stands was under $5,000 and the project falls in line with Levy’s ongoing upgrades of concessions and premium food service at Staples Center, which turns 15 years old this year. The Legendary Eats Sandwich House follows Ludo Lefebvre’s Ludo Bird, a fried chicken stand named after another celebrity chef that opened late last year at the arena. Staples Center patrons can expect more of these concepts to be introduced later this fall, Zeidman said.